Accidents happen, we all know this. One moment you’re traveling along the road and the next you’re dealing with a dangerous situation on the highway. While it is a cliché, the saying, “it happened in the blink of an eye”, ultimately rings true in most cases of automobile accidents. Now, we also realize you may have to break your automobile glass when your car is safely parked in your driveway, or on the street, as well. Read on for more details on how to safely bust your auto glass in the case of an emergency.

Metal, Stone, or Porcelain

This tip is for those who have their car parked in their driveway, a parking lot, or on the road. Remember when going into this that windows are made of tempered glass, which means they are built to withstand blunt force blows. However, using a sharp piece of metal, stone, or porcelain makes that a bit of a different story. Rather than dramatically shattering the window, a sharp object will concentrate the force blow on a tiny area and subsequently create small cracks or holes. Continuing along with this method will allow you to get inside of your vehicle. This method is particularly effective in a situation where a pet or baby have to be rescued from the car, seeing as it won’t lead to glass flying everywhere.

A Claw Hammer

A claw hammer is heavy, sharp, and should make breaking your auto glass relatively simple. Keep in mind that if you use heavy metal to break glass, you should go around the edge of the glass. Auto glass is reinforced in the middle, so the surface is weakest at the edges and is the place where the glass is most likely to crack or chip. Begin there and slowly make your way to the middle of the glass where it will eventually shatter.

The Headrest

Plenty of drivers have no tools at their disposal to utilize in breaking their auto glass. Surprisingly, your head rest can be a life saver. Pull the headrest completely out of your front seat, aim the metal pegs on the headrest at the glass, and jam them down inside the area where the window moves up and down within the door panel. When you have pushed the pegs as far down as you can get them, pull the headrest towards you until the window snaps. The glass should then fall away from the door.

While it certainly isn’t pretty, sometimes your auto glass gets in the way of a dire situation and needs to be broken. If you’re in an emergency and need to get out of your car, or gain access to your car, utilize our suggestions above. If you need auto glass repair after performing said suggestions, you know who to call. Contact your nearest Carolina Windshield Center and we’ll have you good to go in no time.

Texting and driving, which can also be referred to as “distracted driving”, is one of the most dangerous activities you can do on the road. But unfortunately, many drivers do it! According to the Washington Post, 49% of adult drivers admit to texting and driving, with similar numbers found among teen drivers. And texting and driving isn’t the extent of the issue; distracted driving includes eating, using your phone for other uses, and attending to your children. All forms of distracted driving are dangerous, and are leading causes of motor accidents.

341,000 crashes in the U.S. in 2013 involved texting and driving. In 2012, the NHTSA reported that 18% of all fatal crashes in the U.S. were caused by texting while driving. On average, drivers take five seconds to send a text message. Five seconds of travel at highway speed will cause you to travel 300 feet.

One of the best things for adult drivers to do is to lead by example. Teens and children are highly impressionable and in many cases will follow the lead of adults. Put the phone away when you take the wheel to set a good example for younger people. Also, if you have teenage children, advise them on the risks of texting and driving.

Damages to your car windshield can occur at any time of the year. In particular, the summer months can pose a serious threat to your windshield. The main reason for this is due to the constant fluctuation in temperature, whether it’s from the cool summer nights to the blistering summer days, or even the contrasting temperature created by the cool air from the air conditioning unit and the heat from the outside.

Here is a few points of interest that drivers should pay attention to if they want keep up the quality of the windshield and avoid any serious damage.

Take care of any existing cracks: The hot temperatures can cause the windshield less stable, which puts more pressure on any existing cracks or chips in the windshield. Be sure to repair any cracks in the windshield before they expand, becoming an even bigger problem.

Glass Expanding: Cracking or Chipping of the windshield happens more often in the summer months than any other time of the year. This is because of how the windshield expands in the heat, making the structure of the windshield more fragile within the frame. Avoid slamming the doors when entering or exiting the car, slamming of the doors will put added pressure on to the windshield causing additional cracks.

Running the AC on High: Running your air conditioning on high will create a temperature difference between the temperature of the interior and exterior of the windshield, this will have a negative impact on the integrity of the windshield. It is recommended that the driver should gradually increase the setting of the air conditioner instead of turning it on high immediately.

Accidents and damages to your car do happen, but there are steps that can be taken to avoid any future problems to your windshield. Taking these precautionary measures can help your windshield last longer. Contact one of our shops for more information about protect your auto glass. We have shops in Charlotte, Greensboro, and Hickory, NC.

Each season brings their own unique challenges to driving. In the springtime, worn out roads and heavy rains cause difficulties for the driver. Keep your eyes peeled and follow these tips to stay safe on the road this spring:

Be aware that more people will be on the road. Nicer weather brings out motorcyclists, skateboarders, cyclists, and other recreational vehicles. Also, more people travel in nice weather, so there are more drivers in general on the road.

Avoid driving into large puddles. Puddles can cause you to hydroplane and lose control of the automobile. Driving into a very deep puddle can also cause the engine to seize as water can get sucked into the engine.

Keep an eye out for wild life emerging from hibernation. Many animals are found traveling across streets during this time of the year. Heed the warning if you see any warning signs about animal crossings.

The spring season brings misty and foggy conditions. Drive slowly in these conditions because your vision is limited.

As we enjoy the warmer weather around this time of the year, stay aware of the unique driving conditions found in the spring season.